So I'm getting more people into windsurfing ;-).
My buddy can't wait to get his own gear, but there are 2 problems:

1. I haven't seen him sailing (but I think he's an ambitious beginner and sailed on boats a lot) and I'm not sure what board I should recommend to him, however we can't really wait too long, because:

2. There is way less used gear available over here than during Winter (when I got my sweet Care 111, still haven't tried it, actually I wasn't out this year yet).

Anyhow, I found a used 2005 Carve 145 in decent condition and good price, but I see 2 problems with it:
- isn't it going to be to large for the 75kgs guy? (it shouldn't be a problem to sell it later on though and get a smaller board)
- it's wood version...

The sail I found is 7.0 Gaastra Matrix (freeride, 6 battens, had 7.5 and it was a fine sail).
Since he's going to sail mostly in 3-4 bft lake conditions I'm thinking whether this sail is not too small...

Hi Marek,
The Carve 145 would be a good board for your friend if he already has the basic skills (normally learned on a bigger board with a centerboard).
If not, it's still possible to learn on a large shortboard like the Carve 145, but it makes staying upwind really difficult at first, and always getting downwinded can be so frustrating that people have given up.
A 145 liter board is not too large for a 75 Kg. sailor with limited skills. Actually a larger more stable board is normally better in this circumstance.
A 7.0 m2 rig should be ok for 3-4 Bft (7-16 knots) for an advancing beginner.
Again, it would be good to know what his skill level really is, as a 7.0 m2 rig in 12 + knots could be a bit intimidating to a real beginner. Something about 5.0-5.5 m2 would seem better to start out on.
When he can plane with the 7.0 m2 in 14 knots and up, then he can look for a larger sail for the < 14 knot windspeeds.
Sounds like a reasonable combination of board and rig, but the big "unknown" is your friends skill level.
Hope this helps,

Hey thanks Roger for your prompt reply - we can always count on you here.

I like this board, too and the price is good; I remember my Ftype 148 was very ok in terms of stability as my first board (although I won't recommend this board to anybody as the first board, but then maybe I wouldn't find this forum if I had an easier board ), so it's true he should have no problems on a 145 Care.
Going upwind...well everybody has to learn the geometry of the triangle very well if the want to windsurf .

If he's doing quick progress he can get another sail like 9.0 that should work nicely with 145 Carve me thinks - ?.

What bothers me a little is that this is wood version. It already has a half of the palm sized spot that is a little darker than the rest of the deck - should it be addressed somehow or we can just leave it like this?
There are no dings on the deck, but how to take care of them at home if they happen?

Another board that showed up around in a good price is S-type 126.
What do you think about it?
I'm slightly concerned about it's sail top-end - 8.0 - how big you can really get rigged on this board, 7.5?

I find that on our local spot 7.5 conditions are (for me, being 85kg) around good 3B or better, 4B winds.
I think with his weight 8.5 would be a great sail (10.0 for me works well pretty often).

Hi Marek,
I liked the S-Types quite a bit, but I wouldn't try to go with a huge sail on an S-Type.
It sounds like you are asking if an 8.5 m2 rig will work on the S-Type 126.... right?
If so, I think you might be disappointed.
The S-Types were a pretty slalomy board, not real early to plane, and a bit of work to
get planing in marginal conditions.
When powered up, the S-Type was very good. Fast, a little technical (when compared with the same size Carve) to jibe, lots of "pop" for chop hopping and light jumping (better than the Carves in this respect), but you have to be able to get planing pretty fast before all these "features" kick in.
I cannot report first hand on the S-Type 126 with an 8.5 as I never tried it. I used the S-Type 126 mostly with 6.5-7.5 Retros and Huckers.
In 3 Bft (7-10 knots) windspeeds with an 8.5, you would have a hard time getting planing.
In 4 Bft windspeeds (11-16 knots) you'll probably have a hard time getting going until the wind gets to around 12 or 13 knots.
Remember, the S-Type is pretty much the opposite of your F-Type......much narrower in the tail, not an early planing design at all.
Hope this helps,